What it doesn’t sound like is the venue for a children’s literature festival, but then again – this isn’t just any festival. Voices on the Coast is the award winning super festival held annually on the sunshine coast, which has been providing a gamut of literary talks and workshops for school aged kids since 1996. This year I was lucky enough to be a speaker at the festival, and was incredibly spoilt on 3 accounts: I got to…

The next two days were chock full of workshops, whiteboards, pens, pencils and school uniforms. The first day was for secondary students (where myself and a few other picture book writers were stolen away to a local junior school for some talks) and the second day was for primary students. Other authors were also involved in late night panels, adult writer workshops and a further day of touring around libraries across the hinterlands. Unfortunately I was only just recovering from a cold as I set out for the festival, so by the last 10 minutes of my final workshop I had absolutely no voice left (I believe I was emitting a hight pitched tone heard only by local dogs). The kids were very kind and quiet for me, and as an illustrator I could luckily rely on drawing rather than talking.

On the final afternoon David and I headed to the beach for some super juices to try to recoup

After it was all over we had one day before we had to return to Brisbane, so checked out some local markets (and spent some of our hard earned dollars – I might just be wearing a new dress below).

Eumundi markets: Me arguing with a sign over some name calling ... he started it

Next post I’ll break down the workshops I ran at the festival, including some funny Squishy pictures the kids and I drew and wacky monsters we created…

The best thing about making the visual diary while I was travelling the US was that it re-kickstarted my daily doodling habit. It reminded me how much I enjoy drawing just for fun, rather than only when I have a project to do or a book to finish. So I’ve made sure to keep the ritual going now that I’m back. I’ve started a new part of the diary, where I’ve continued to collect images about life, people and silliness. Below are the first few drawings…

My diary mascot asserting himself:

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Doodling wigs for David after a gig one night:

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After seeing a soldier in the Queen Street Mall handing out red balloons:

Last week I was flown down to Sydney for an art exhibition, awards night and general party-like-gathering for past winners of the Marten Bequest Travelling Scholarship. The event was held at the Art Gallery of NSW, and the lovely organisers exhibited some of my Squish Rabbit illustrations, alongside installations from other previous winners (including paintings, sculptures, acting videos, dance, poetry and music). It was a whirlwind couple of days, and instead of writing about it all I decided to capture my time as a photo diary. I took these using Instagram, my current favourite iPhone app:

….. ..View from my room by day…………………………….…and by night

At the exhibition (unfortunately the perspex display makes it hard to see my illos)

Coffee with lovely ladies (L to R): Melina Marchetta ('Looking for Alibrandi'), Sophie Hamley (my agent) and Pip Harry (soon to be published by UQP)

Autumn in Hyde Park

Reading + Lindt cafe = two of my favourite things

View from a bench where I sat writing to the kick and skud of skateboards

Lunch with illustrator friend/fiend Serena Geddes

Breakfast at Ampersand (look it up - awesome)

Final hot chocolate in Hyde Park

About this Blog…

A blog of ramblings about the world of writing and illustrating for children, by an author / illustrator who might just have a thing for rabbits.

Katherine's picture books, 'Squish Rabbit' and 'Brave Squish Rabbit', are out with Viking (Penguin, US) and UQP (Australia). Please e-mail if you would like her to blog about something in particular.